Day 33: Warnings
Eli was running again.
But this time, it wasn't the frantic, desperate flight from some unseen terror. He ran with purpose, his heart pounding not with fear but with determination. The ruins of the world stretched out before him, the shattered remnants of buildings casting long, jagged shadows under a sky that churned with dark clouds. But Eli wasn't afraid.
In his hands was a weapon—a gleaming sword, the blade bright and clean, unlike anything he had ever held before. It felt right in his grip, as if it belonged there, as if he was meant to wield it.
Ahead, the ground trembled as a monstrous creature emerged from the ruins. It was huge, its skin thick and scaly, its eyes glowing with fury. Eli could feel the weight of its presence, the raw power that radiated from it, but he didn't slow down. He charged toward it, his movements fluid and confident.
The creature roared, its massive claws raking the ground as it lunged toward him. But Eli was faster. He leaped into the air, his sword flashing in the dim light as he brought it down in a powerful strike. The blade cut through the creature's thick hide, and with a howl of pain, it collapsed at his feet.
Eli stood over the creature, breathing hard but steady, the weight of his victory settling over him. Around him, the ruins seemed less oppressive, the shadows retreating as he stood tall.
He wasn't afraid anymore. He was a fighter, a survivor. And this time, he wasn't running.
Eli woke with a start, his heart still pounding from the dream, but not with the familiar panic of nightmares. Instead, there was a strange sense of clarity, of control. For a brief moment, the dream still clung to him—the feeling of strength, of purpose—but as the cold reality of the ruined world settled back in, the weight of their situation pressed down on him again.
He blinked, the red glow of dawn seeping through the cracks in the walls of their shelter. The air was still, the world outside quiet save for the occasional creak of distant debris shifting in the wind.
But then he heard it again—Cass's voice, low and steady, counting.
"Thirteen… twelve… eleven…"
Eli shifted, careful not to wake Luke, who was still fast asleep, his body sprawled awkwardly against a pile of rubble. Cass was sitting by the entrance, just as she had been the last time Eli had overheard her. She stared out into the horizon, her eyes distant, her lips barely moving as she continued to count down the days.
Eli's heart skipped a beat. He knew he had to ask her now, while Luke was still asleep. He couldn't shake the growing feeling that Cass was hiding something—something important. And after all the training, the constant pressure, he needed to understand what it was they were truly preparing for.
Slowly, he sat up, making as little noise as possible. "Cass?" he whispered, his voice soft but insistent.
Cass didn't turn, but her counting stopped. "What is it, Eli?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with a quiet tension.
He moved closer, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Luke. "You keep counting the days. What's going to happen when you reach zero?"
Cass was silent for a moment, her gaze still fixed on the distant horizon. For a moment, Eli thought she might brush him off again, give him another vague answer. But then, she sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly, as if she had been carrying a weight for far too long.
"Did you notice when it last rained?" she asked, her voice quiet but pointed.
Eli frowned, the question catching him off guard. "Rain? I… no, I don't think I have. It's been weeks, maybe longer."
Cass nodded, her gaze still distant. "Exactly. It hasn't rained in a long time. Not since the world changed. But it will rain again. And when it does…" She paused, her eyes darkening. "You need to be ready."
Eli's stomach twisted. "What do you mean? What happens when it rains?"
Cass finally turned to face him, her expression grave. "The rain isn't like it was before. It's not just water. It's highly concentrated acid. When it starts, anything on the surface—creatures, plants, anything alive—will hide. They'll burrow underground, crawl under rubble, find holes or caves to take shelter. Because if they don't, the rain will melt them alive."
Eli felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Acid rain. It wasn't just the creatures they had to worry about—it was the world itself turning against them. "How long does it last?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"A day," Cass said, her voice steady. "The rain will fall for a full day. And when it's over, the world will change again."
Eli's mind raced, trying to process what she was saying. The idea of acid rain was terrifying enough, but the way Cass spoke, it was clear that the rain was only the beginning. "What happens after the rain?"
Cass's eyes flickered with something close to dread, but her voice remained steady. "After the rain stops, the ground will come to life. Plants, trees—they'll sprout up everywhere. It'll look like the world is being reborn, lush and green. But those plants… they're not like the ones we used to know. They have a mind of their own."
Eli's breath caught in his throat. "A mind?"
Cass nodded grimly. "The trees, the plants—they'll move. Their branches will twist and stretch, and they'll attack anything that gets too close. They feed on blood. Living creatures are their prey."
Eli felt his heart pounding in his chest. "So you're preparing us for… that? For when the rain comes?"
Cass's expression hardened. "I'm preparing you to survive what comes after. The creatures will hide during the rain, but once it stops, they'll come out again—stronger, more dangerous. And the trees… the plants… they'll be a threat we've never faced before."
Eli's mind swirled with the weight of her words. The countdown, the training, the urgency in everything Cass had been doing—it all made sense now. She wasn't just preparing them for the next fight. She was preparing them for the day the world would change again.
"And the day you've been counting down to…" Eli started, his voice trembling. "That's when the rain comes, isn't it?"
Cass nodded, her eyes cold and resolute. "Yes. In thirteen days, the rain will fall. And after that, everything will change."
Eli sat back, his mind reeling. He had known something was coming—something big—but this was worse than anything he had imagined. Acid rain, bloodthirsty plants, stronger creatures. They were heading toward a nightmare, and there was no way to stop it.
"What do we do?" Eli asked, his voice hoarse. "How do we survive?"
Cass looked at him, her gaze steady but unyielding. "We train. We fight. And when the rain comes, we find shelter underground, or under rubble—anywhere we can hide from the rain. Then, when it stops, we stay vigilant. We keep moving. And we don't let the plants or the creatures catch us."
Eli nodded, though the weight of it all pressed down on him like a lead blanket. Thirteen days. That was all the time they had left to prepare for the world to turn even more hostile than it already was.
As he sat there, his mind buzzing with fear and uncertainty, Eli realized one thing: whatever came after the rain, they would have to face it together.
And they had to be ready.